Atonement
by jinky
Summary: He went back to Lorelei… He allowed me to live… He rejected Lorelei’s offer of life to give life to me… I must repay him. He and Lorelei are one now… and I will protect the person that he speaks to… That is my atonement… [EDITED]


Disclaimers: I don't own Tales of the Abyss. Oh how I wish I did… Hehe…

Author's notes: Well now… it's been some time since I got inspired to type something. I don't really have anything in particular to say but… well… haha…

**Title **: Atonement

**Summary **: He went back to Lorelei… He allowed me to live… He rejected Lorelei's offer of life to give life to me… I must repay him. He and Lorelei are one now… and I will protect the person that he speaks to… That is my atonement… **AschLuke and a little bit of GuyLuke in the beginning. **

**Pairing**: AschLuke

_flashback_

**You'll know who this is by the end of the oneshot**

_**Asch's Point of View**_

* * *

_"I tell you this. You have done admirably. And now I ask you once again…" His voice echoed around the whole area, his voice reaching the ears of the young replica who was once his own. "Do you not want a second life, not as a replica, but as a real human being?"_

_Lips gave out a small bitter smile as green eyes glanced at the being in front of him. "Why…? Am I not human enough, Lorelei?" His eyes turned to look at the long haired man on his arms… his original. The original that died for the sake of his replica. No… He did not die… He merely fell asleep… asleep in the arms of the replica that he sought to save. However… "Asch… is just asleep. But in order to wake him up, a life must be sacrificed. I was originally him anyway… so I will give the life that was supposed to be his back…" He closed his eyes, opening them once again to look at the glowing being of flame and spirit._

_"I do not need a second life… I want that life to be passed on to Asch…"_

_The being could see the finality within the boy's eyes. Even he knew that he could not change the boy's mind. "Is that your final decision?"_

_No words were needed…_

_"Yes."_

_…The look on his eyes was enough for Lorelei to see his true wish…_

_…That he did not just want his original to live…_

_…he wanted to live with him as well…_

_"Then let me fulfill that wish…" _

"Asch… are you sure that you want to return there?" Blue eyes glanced at green ones as he watched the red haired monarch take his sword. "I mean… wouldn't it be best for you to remain here in Baticul? You I are /I the viscount, after all." Asch glanced at the man in front of him. Gailardia Galan Gardios… Luke's best friend and confidant… It would seem that he was there to question him for his actions.

He closed his eyes, a frown appearing on his face. "Gailardia," He called. "You are a quite a confusing character. Your best friend died to give me life, and yet you act as if I wasn't the cause of his death." He told him. "I was expecting that you would be glad to know that I was leaving." He closed his eyes and went past him, not seeing the sad look that the blonde monarch had on his face.

"If I were to choose, I would kill you on the spot for taking the life that was supposed to be his…" Guy murmured, his hand slightly touching the hilt of his sword. "But…" He turned around, a small smile on his face. "Luke gave you that life. That was the most important thing for him. Knowing that he was merely a replica made him treasured the life that he had very much. He knew that he wasn't supposed to live. That's why he made sure that he lived his life with no regrets… and he passed that life to you. Luke wouldn't want me to take the life that he himself gave to you. That's why… I'll let you keep it."

There was silence for a while, and Asch could barely see the blonde's hand shaking. "I wasn't able to protect him. I wasn't able to prevent him from dying…" His voice started to crack… His strength wavering bit by bit… "I knew he would die… but at the same time… I was expecting that there would be a miracle and he'd return… But he didn't….!" Tears started falling down from the blonde's eyes, showing the red haired monarch his sadness… the sadness that he didn't want anyone to see.

"He gave his life to you… So that life is no longer just your own…" He murmured. "If I kill you… It would be like killing Luke… so I won't. That would by my way of protecting him… That's why…" He raised his head high, wiping away his tears so he could look at his friend's original eye to eye. "Do me a favor… and protect that life…! I don't know why you want to go back to Daath… but swear to me that you won't do anything reckless that might endanger that life…!"

The original gave out a smirk, a smirk that reassured the blonde of that promise before leaving. Asch would never say it out loud… but the life that Luke gave him was the only thing he had… and he'd be damned if he let that go… _again_…

"Tell me something Asch…

"Why do you want to return to Daath…"?

**"Why do you want to return to Daath?"**

He sat down on his bed, looking at the stone ceiling above. Even after returning to Daath, he didn't know how to answer that question. He knew why he wanted to go back, but he didn't know how he was going to explain it. He came back to Daath for a reason. That was why he managed to regain his title as a god-general easily. He was determined to return, and he only had one reason why…

…He was going to protect Luke…

During that time… when he died… he felt nothing but coldness. It was cold in where he was, but he suddenly felt warm when his own hyperessonance became one with Luke's. Luke gave him warmth upon his death, and even though he could still not feel anything else, he heard their words… Luke and Lorelei's voices…

_**Damn you, replica… Lorelei gave you a second chance, and yet you gave that chance to me without anything in return… I was fine where I was. I was fine being dead… and yet enclosed within that warmth. But you just had to give me life… life that Lorelei was offering **you__. **Dreck… you rejected that life for me… Now you're giving me pain… Pain that I never wanted… Pain that I never had before… But I'm not the one to complain… I wanted to live too… just as much as you did…**_

_**I want to say I hate you… but I can't. Not after you giving me a second chance at life… Not after you igniting the ashes back to flames…**_

_**This life is no longer my own… but at the same time… you became one with Lorelei… You returned to where you belonged…**_

_**But that question remained to me. Was with Lorelei the place where you really belonged…? Or was it with your friends…? As much as I regret what I would be saying… why did you not even think about what I would be feeling?! Did you not even think how insulting it is to be given a second chance by the replica that you wanted to kill so much?! How embarrassing that was?!**_

_**…I doubt you ever did.**_

_**But… you still gave me this life…**_

_**And as difficult as this may be, I am planning on repaying you…**_

_**I will protect Daath… the place where both Lorelei and Yulia are being loved… and is now the place where you are... being one with Lorelei. I will protect the Fon Master… the person who Lorelei speaks to. That way… I would be protecting you as well…**_

_**Damn it… It's your fault for making me soft…**_

_**As difficult as it may be, and as untrue as it may sound…**_

_**…this will be my way of atoning for my sins…**_

**"But there is no sin to atone for…"**

The news about Asch's return traveled around Daath rather quickly, and soon, he had been receiving visits from his former subordinates. He didn't mind at first, but there were days when it started to get annoying. And currently, today was one of those days. He managed to get away from the oracle knights, reaching the garden of Daath where he found his sanctuary. It was in that place where he could think and meditate… but his thoughts were far from calming ones…

"If there was one thing I truly wished for…"

**"What wish would that be…?"**

"…that would be for that damned dreck to stop giving me trouble and return to where he belonged…"

"But he could never return here, Asch…"

The god-general raised his head, his eyes meeting with the ex-fon master guardian and the replica of the former fon master Ion. "Anise Tatlin… and Florian… am I correct?" He stated, earning a nod from the two before standing up to regain his stoic appearance. "What do you want?"

Florian hid behind the pigtailed girl as Anise smiled at him to reassure him that it's alright before looking back at the god-general in front of her. "I just want to tell you the news…"

"What news would that be?"

"…a new Fon Master has been chosen."

**"Do you want to meet me…? Because I do…"**

Following Anise and Florian, Asch soon found himself inside the cathedral, waiting for the new Fon Master to show up. He would finally be able to atone for his sins…

**"But I told you… There is no sin to atone for…"**

…He would protect the fon master with his life…

** "It would seem that you cannot hear my words…"**

"You know," Anise started. "The fon master was a miracle. He is still very young… Perhaps younger than Ion was. A few days ago, he was on the verge of life and death. But for some reason, he survived." A small smile appeared on the younger girl's face. "They said that his fonons suddenly rose, and that they could feel Lorelei and Yulia's spirit giving him life… There was also a foreign feeling, but they couldn't pinpoint what that feeling was…"

His eyes widened.

"Could it be…"

And soon enough, a child entered the hall… a child no older than twelve years of age. They could see that the child was wearing the fon master's robes, and on his hand was the staff. But as soon as the high priest stood back, the god-general couldn't speak. The child merely smiled at him, his innocent and yet mature eyes gleaming.

"You must be god-general Asch… I have heard from the high priest that you were going to be the new fon master guardian and yet you will keep you title as a god-general… That's really amazing… It's very nice to meet you…"

The child didn't have any time to retort as his arm was soon pulled and his face buried on a person's chest. Strong arms held him tight, and he could faintly hear someone… crying. "Are you crying…?" Asch shook his head, but the child paid it no heed. "Why…?"

The child chuckled...

"You're very strange... You're crying without a reason..."

"I'm going to atone for my sins… I will protect you this time… Luke…"

The child smiled, wrapping his small arms around the other man's neck…

"What are you talking about...? I don't know this Luke... And what are you saying…? There is no sin to atone for…"

"I'm going to protect you this time… with the life that you gave me…"

**"There is no sin to atone for… but if you insist…**

**…then I'll protect you with this life as well…"**

**END **

* * *

**Explanations: The new fon master is _not _Luke, although Luke is using the child to send Asch his message. The child does not know Luke, but for some reason, he could feel Luke's emotions without knowing that the emotions are not his. Asch hugged him because of the sudden feeling of Luke's soul inside the child. I don't really think that would be impossible, since Asch could sense [kinda Luke when he's around. So there is a possibility that he felt the same thing when he saw the kid. XD**

** The kid is, in some way, being used by Luke. Luke considers the child as his 'second life' since he could share a part of his soul with the child. **

** There. I hope that clears things up. XD**

* * *

Author's notes: blink blink Is it just me or did I make Asch too much out of character…? This occurs after the game, so I believed that there would be improvements on Asch's character… XD Forgive me if I offended anyone. 

Darn writer's block… why won't it leave me alone?

It's been quite some time since I wrote something so it may be kind of crappy... XD

…reviews please!


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